FREEFriday

July 31, 2020Vol. 6, No. 47

ValleyWeeklyllc.com

Local Woman Now Priest in Connecticut, p. 5Being Small in Your Own Eyes, p. 4Kathy Sieja, p. 4“I have never let my schooling interfere

with my education.” - Mark Twain

Washington in a Minute, Page 2Champion Game Plan, Page 3

Called to Preach, Page 4Spotlight on Elders, Page 4

Local Becomes Episcopal Priest, Page 5Calendar of Events, Page 7

INSIDE THIS ISSUE!

ACES Announces New Summer Programs The Alabama Coop-erative Extension System at Alabama A&M Univer-sity offers summer and fall online learning activities for all ages. All sessions are free and open to the public. Continuing education units are also being offered for lawn and garden and environmental education sessions. Topics include: lawn and garden care; storytime les-sons on healthy habits for

kids in grades K-4; finan-cial planning for youth and adults; estate planning for older adults and families; train-the-teacher lessons for environmental and STEM gardening programs; and health and financial literacy. To participate in the online learning activities, you must pre-register and connect using the Zoom platform. Zoom allows individuals to conduct or

engage in online live pre-sentations, meetings, and chat sessions. Visit the following site for more information on upcoming educational ac-tivities offered by Alabama Extension at Alabama A&M University: www.aces.edu/events/ Contact Kimberly Sin-clair-Holmes at ksh0035@aces.edu or (256) 690-4614 for more information.

HU Distributes COVID-19 Relief Funds to Local Charities

Huntsville Utilities un-derstands how disruptive the coronavirus (COV-ID-19) pandemic has been and remains committed to doing what is right for our customers. In April, Tennessee Valley Authority partnered with Huntsville Utilities to establish a COVID-19 relief fund to assist utility customers financially im-pacted by the pandemic. Money for this fund comes from Huntsville Utilities (and its employ-ees), local businesses, and a matching grant of $80,000 from TVA. Last week, the first dona-tions from this fund were disbursed to the following organizations providing as-sistance in the community:The Downtown Rescue Mission, The Salvation Army, New Futures, 1st Stop, Hope Place, RiahRose Home for Children, and Safe Harbor Youth. In the coming weeks, ad-ditional funds will be dis-tributed to local charities and customers requiring assistance.

To apply for assistance, con-tact The Salvation Army at 256-536-5576. Additional relief may also be available from other local commu-nity support organizations and assistance agencies. If you are experiencing a financial hardship, please contact us now at 256-535-1200 to make a payment arrangement. Customers are encour-

aged to pay their bill each month to avoid accumulat-ing large balances. We will continue to work closely with our custom-ers experiencing

any hardship with their account. Businesses and individu-als who wish to contrib-ute to the COVID-19 relief fund should contact Huntsville Utilities at 256-535-1200.

LWV 2020 Drive Up Voter Services Event Aug. 1 The League of Women Voters of the Tennessee Valley joins the nation celebrating the 55th Anniversary of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 in the inaugural Saturday Drive-Up Voter Services Event on Saturday August 1, at the Huntsville Madison County Senior Center at 2200 Drake Ave SW, Huntsville, Ala., from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. The League of Women Voters bridges the gap between the voter and the election process. Voting is a fundamental right and should be exercised by all who want to participate. The League of Women Voters believes that no one should have to choose

between their health and exercising the right to vote. The League of Women Voters of the Tennessee Valleydeveloped the Drive-Up Voter Services Clinics to assist all Alabama citizens find a safeway to vote. The following al a carte services will be provided free of charge: Voter Registration (paper or on the citizen’s phone) Absentee Ballot Application Forms (Municipal and General) Witness for Absentee Ballot Affidavit Envelope Envelopes and stamps to mail absentee ballot applications and absentee ballots Photo ID copying service Opt-in text service for Voter Rights Restoration evaluation and assistance (withnext steps) Election reminder texts Answer your Voting questions!

On August 1, the Alabama Secretary of State’s Voter Identification Van will also beavailable to issue FREE voter identification cards. The following Drive Up Voter Services locations to date: August 1, Huntsville Madison County Senior Center at 2200 Drake Ave SW, Huntsville, Ala., from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. August 15, Huntsville Down-town Library, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. August 29, Athens Library at 603 S Jefferson St, Athens, Ala., from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. September 12, 2020, Boys and Girls Club of North Alabama at 2901 Fairbanks St., NW, Huntsville, Ala. September 26, 2020, Seminole Boys and Girls Club at 125 Earl St SW, Huntsville, Ala. With more locations to be announced soon! Be sure and check out the website atlwvtnv.org for more

2 July 31, 2020

Washington in One Minute

Here are the happenings in Washington, D.C.: 1) The House and Senate are in session this week. Among other items, the House will take up the Wa-ter Resources Development Act (WRDA) and a package of 7 FY2021 appropriations bills: Defense; Commerce/Justice/Science; Energy & Water Development; Financial Services; Home-land Security; Labor/HHS/Education; and Transporta-tion/HUD.

Senate Republicans were expected to release their $1 trillion “CARES 2” coro-navirus relief bill Monday, which reportedly contained a new $1,200 payment to lower-earning Americans; additional federal unem-ployment benefits capped at 70% of wages; liability pro-

tection for businesses and schools; and an extension of the eviction moratorium. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and top Republicans have said the bill will include $105 billion for educa-tion. Based on what GOP lawmakers have said, the estimated funding break-down is $70 billion for K-12 schools; nearly $30 billion for colleges; and another $5 billion for governors to spend on education. The HEROES Act (H.R. 6800), the stimulus plan passed by the House in May, included $100 billion for education, an amount close to that proposed by the Senate Republicans.

2) On Monday, the body of 17-term Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), who passed away July 17, was scheduled to

lie in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, where an invitation-only memorial ceremony held at 1:30 p.m. was followed by an outdoor visitation that is open to the public on the East Front Steps of the Capitol after

the ceremony on Monday and during the day on Tuesday. 3) Also on Monday, President Trump traveled to North Carolina, where he visited the FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies’ Innovation Center in the Raleigh suburb of Mor-risville and toured facilities that are used to manufac-ture key components of a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Novavax, where he also made remarks on COVID-19 vac-cine development. On Wednesday, he went to Texas to give a speech on domestic energy produc-tion at the Double Eagle Energy Oil Rig in Mid-land and then attended a fundraiser in Odessa. On Friday, he met with leaders of the 241,000-member

National Association of Police Organizations, which recently endorsed his bid for reelection. 4) On Friday, President Trump signed 4 executive orders aimed at lowering drug prices: (1) to expe-dite the timeline to allow states and pharmacies to import drugs from Canada; (2) to index the price of Medicare-provided drugs to the prices paid overseas; (3) to end rebates paid to pharmacy benefit manag-ers (the so-called “middle-men”); and (4) to require that low-income Americans are able to purchase insulin and EpiPens at the price of one penny per unit under the 340B Prescription Drug Program. 5) Last week, Martin Luther King III, the Rev. Al

Sharpton, and the NAACP announced that the “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” March will take place in D.C. on August 28 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial – on the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. Accord-ing to The Washington Post, the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Eric Garner will participate in the event. 6) On Friday night, Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the court’s 4 liberal justices in turning down a request by Nevada’s Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley Church near Carson City to issue an order that would have allowed the church to hold in-person worship services with as many as 90 people while it

REGISTER NOW FOR FALL CLASSESdrakestate.edu

challenges the COVID-19 shutdown issued by NV Governor Steve Sisolak, which limits services there to a maximum of 50 people while allowing casinos, gyms, bars and restau-rants to operate at 50% of capacity. According to the SCOTUSblog, the ruling drew sharp dissents from the court’s more conserva-tive justices, with Justice Samuel Alito writing that although the “Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion,” it “says nothing about the freedom to play craps or blackjack.”

Hamm Consulting Group400 North Capitol Street,

NW Suite 585Washington D.C. 20001

T: 202-596-8384rhamm@hammconsulting.

comwww.hammconsulting.com

3July 31, 2020

PublisherThe Valley Weekly, LLC

Editor-in-ChiefDorothy W. Huston, Ph.D.

______

Editorial Consultant/Senior Editor

Jerome Saintjones, Ed.S.______

Editorial AssistantsLinda BurrussPhyllis Chunn

William Huston, Sr.Gary T. Whitley, Jr.

Advertising AssociatePhyllis Chunn

- Contributing Editors -tim allston

Lamar A. Braxton, Jr.Minister Preston Brown

Ron HammPastor Michael D. Rice

Website AdministratorCalvin Farier

Mailing Address:The Valley Weekly

415A Church Street - Suite 100Huntsville, AL 35801

(256) 651-9028www.valleyweeklyllc.com

Copyright 2019

Items for consideration for publica-tion in The Valley Weekly should be submitted at least TWO weeks in advance to above address or by

e-mail to info@valleyweeklyllc.com. Items do not necessar-

ily reflect the views of The Valley Weekly, LLC.

Submissions to TVW do not necessarily reflect the belief of

the editorial staff and TVW is not responsible for the authenticity of

submissions.

The Valley WeeklyAd Rates Single Issue

Back Cover 10x10-inches $1,000 Full Page 10x10 inches $800 3/4 Page 7.5x10 inches $600 Half Page Horizontal 5x10 inches $400 Vertical 10x5 inches $400 Fourth Page 5x5 inches $200 Eighth Page 2.5x5 inches $100 Sixteenth Page 2.5x2.5 $50 Classified 1 col.x1 inch $6 (4 col. in. minimum=$24) 6 Month/1 Yr.-10% & 20% Discount!

“PERCEPTION IS EVERYTHING”

1 Samuel 17:45 says, David said to Goliath, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defiled. You know, It has been said that “perception is everything.” So, the way we see things will affect the way that we react to them. For example, what do you do when you are faced with a situation that appears to be too much for you to handle? And everything looks like a “giant.” But if we believe in the power of God, we should know that there is no problem too big for God. When we look at this scripture, we can read for ourselves that Goliath was a Giant Problem that someone had to deal with. According to the text, Goliath had been defiling the entire Israelite Army for 40 days. But the worst thing of all was that they put up with it. No one was willing to challenge Goliath until David came along. You see, David didn’t look at Goliath the same way that these soldiers looked at him.

David had a different per-spective of the situation and he realized that the “battle” was in God’s hands and not in the hands of a shepherd with a rock and a slingshot. This message is for all of us. When we are facing difficult times, we need to know where our help comes from. So many times we allow the devil to expose our weak-nesses in such a way that we are unaware of the strength that we have. I believe our strength comes from the wisdom that we get from God. You know, I heard someone say that “Everyone else looked at Goliath and said, ‘He’s too big to kill,’ but David looked at Goliath and said, ‘He’s too big to miss.’ You see, per-ception is everything … stay encouraged my brothers and sisters. Make sure you purchase a copy of my book, “A Champion Game Plan For Life,” at amazon.com

Champion Game Plan for Lifeby Preston Brown

Design • Print • Mail • Promotional256-539-1658 www.xcelprint.com

Because it’s a colorful world...

Johns Hopkins: There Are Still Countries with No Coronavirus Cases In December 2019, the coronavirus seemed to be con-fined to China. But, just a few weeks later, the virus, which causes the illness known as COVID-19, became a global pandemic. The virus, which leads to a respiratory illness that can be transmitted from droplets of bodily fluids – such as mucus and saliva, has now been reported in at least 188

countries. With the number of positive cases growing in the United States, scientists, health officials along with local governments have issued mandates and regulations to practice social distancing and hand washing to flatten the curve and reduce the number of cases. As of July 15, 2020, ac-cording to data compiled by

Johns Hopkins University, more than 13 million people have been infected, and the global death toll is more than 578,000. More than 7.3 mil-lion patients have recovered. Here’s a look at three COVID-free countries: 1) North Korea. North Korea was the first country to close its borders. As a neigh-

bor of China, the country closed its borders on January 21 and hasn’t re-opened since. 2) Tonga, Oceania. Tonga has been strict with travel rules since February. 3) Vanuatu, Oceania. Vanuatu has no reported cases and implemented strict policies for those coming in from overseas from Febru-

ary. Remember that Oceania is a geographic region that includes Australasia, Melane-sia, Micronesia and Poly-nesia, which reported some coronavirus cases, but not many. Those travelling from infected countries to Vanuatu were not permitted in or had to undergo quarantine.

4 July 31, 2020

“Our ability to create has outreached our ability to use wisely the products

of our invention.”- Whitney M. Young, Jr.

JULY 31 - WHITNEY MOORE YOUNG, JR. - As head of the National Urban League (1961–71), the world’s largest social-civil rights organization, he spearheaded the drive for equal opportunity for blacks in U.S. industry and government. - BlackinTime.info

Spotlight on Our Elders ... Featuring

Mrs. Kathy Sieja The second of two children, Kathy Sieja was born in Panama City, Fla., on October 7, 1946. Her father was in the Air Force for the first 20 years of her life, so she lived in several different cities in the United States, as well as abroad, graduating from high school in Anchorage, Alaska. After attending the University of Alaska and Florida State Uni versity, she graduated from the University of West Florida in Pensacola with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work and counseling psy-chology, respectively. Sieja and her husband Dan were married in Pensacola, where he flew FA’s with the Navy. The family spent several years living in Virginia, Maryland, Japan, and Texas,

while she was primarily a stay-at-home mom for their three delightful children—Ju lie, Tim and Andy. During those years, she was active in several community organizations, including church, military wives groups, children’s school activities, and other outreach associations. It was while living in Japan that she first began working outside the home, and she con tinued part-time employment until Dan retired from the Navy in 1989, and they moved to Huntsville, where they have lived ever since. Most of her career was as a clinical counselor, and she was a partner of The Hearth Psychology and Counseling Center in Huntsville for 20 of

those years. During her career, she did public speaking, led groups, and taught classes on topics such as grief, marriage, and stress reduction. At St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, she is a Worship Assistant, leader of an Adult Sunday School Class, and the Women’s organization with local and state leadership positions.

Called Preachby Pastor/Founder Michael D. Rice

Grace Gethsemane Mission Church

2“Small in Your Own Eyes”

1 Samuel 15:17

These words represent both an indictment and an indication concerning King Saul. They were words that he definitely did not want to hear, however, one who was obedient had been tapped to confront one who had not been. Samuel confronted Saul after a battle in which Saul was to destroy the sinners

and the Amalekites. There was to be no plunder taken because there was to be nothing left. Saul gave in to the pressure from the people and kept some of the animals under the guise of having animals that could be used in sacrificial offer-ings. This is when Samuel told him that with God, obedience is better than sacrifice. This riveting reminder by Samuel was that there was a time when Saul had a humble view of himself; he was small in his own eyes. That is when he was

NOW OPEN!

anointed and appointed as Israel’s first king. Over a period of time however, he became just the opposite, big in his own eyes. To use a col-loquial expression from my childhood, Saul had

become too big for his britches. As a result, God took the kingdom from him and gave it to David. Pride is listed as number one on God’s hate list. James tells us that He gives grace to

the humble and resists the proud. Many biblical stories have been stained by this evil. The only way to avoid it is by remaining small in your own eyes.

5July 31, 2020

The American Public Gas As-sociation (APGA) has named John Olshefski of Huntsville Utilities in Alabama the Second Vice Chair of its Board of Directors. Olshefski was elected during the APGA virtual Special Meeting, held in lieu of the association’s Annual Meeting, where he began a one-year term. APGA is the only trade association that solely represents the interests of public natural gas systems at the federal legislative and regulatory level. The following statement can be attributed to APGA President and CEO Dave Schryver. “Mr. Olshefski brings to the APGA Board of Directors many years of experience working in the natural gas indus-try,” said Dave Schryver, APGA president/CEO. “His leadership ability and knowledge of energy issues, especially with natural gas utilities, will serve our members and industry well.”

Olshefski APGA Board Officer

When I think about what may go down as the 20th century’s greatest achieve-ment and a symbol of American leadership and brilliance around the world, I’m reminded today of President Kennedy’s words: “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the oth-ers, too.” Now as we face chal-lenges both new and old, the COVID-19 crisis and tackling racial inequality, we would all do well to remember his words. President Kennedy’s words do not just apply to our next great moon mission. What’s to say that our next great “moon-shot” shouldn’t be curing COVID-19 – or bringing our medical manufacturing back under Alabama control – or finally taking concrete steps to end decades of systemic

racism? Those are the challenges that will define the future of Alabama and our nation. We must tackle them, not because they are easy but, as President Kennedy said, because they are hard. It will test us – it al-ready has – but, like the great Apollo 11 mission, it can and will bring out the best of us. So when I write to you about One Alabama and what we are coming together for, this is what I think of. It’s what motivates me to continue serving you in the United States Senate, and what we as a nation must strive to achieve.

– Senator Doug Jones

Senator Says State Has Capacity to Meet Tough Challenges

Huntsvillian to Assume Duties as Episcopal Priest in Connecticut

On July 1, 2020, a Hartford, Connecticut, Vestry voted unanimously to call the Rev. Dorothella Michel Littlepage to be Trinity Episcopal Church’s thirteenth rector. She accepted the call and will begin her ministry on September 14, 2020.Dorothella is the daughter of Deacon Willie T. and Dr. Harriett S. Littlepageand a daughter of First Missionary Baptist Church. Her early education began at the age of 3 at the First Missionary Baptist Church Child Development Center. She was baptized by the Rev. Dr. Julius R. Scruggsat the age of 7. Dorothella was an active member of the Youth Ministry, includ-ing Sunday School, Bible Classes, Youth Choirs, Drama, and the Youth Council. After graduation from Lee High School in 2002, Dorothella was Spelman-bound with a Spelman Presidential and NASA Women in Science Schol-arship. She earned two bachelor’s degrees, Summa Cum Laude, B.A. in reli-gion and a B.S. in chemis-try from Spelman College in Atlanta, 2006, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society. She went on to earn her Master of Divinity degree, Cum Laude, from Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Va., 2011. Since her ordination to the priesthood of The Epis-copal Church, Dorothella has served four years as Assistant Rector in Urban Episcopal Congregations: at St. Stephen’s Memorial

Episcopal Church in Lynn,Mass., and at St. Augus-tine St. Martin Episcopal Church in Boston, Mass. Most recently, during the past five years, she has been Executive Director of Roxbury-Dorchester Power in Community Mission Hub, a collective of four Episcopal congre-gations, founded by three Episcopal Parishes in Roxbury-Dorchester and the Diocese of Massachu-setts. When asked to give a four-word summary of what God is calling her to do, she said, “Magnify Holiness on Margins.” Excerpts from Trinity’s Introducing Rev. Dorothel-la “Dee” Littlepage state: “It is clear to the Vestry that Dee’s gifts and talents align very closely with the present gifts and needs of Trinity Church. She favors the ‘high church’ style of worship while also enjoying experimenta-tion with various styles of

liturgical expression. She has a strong commitment to outreach and to social justice concerns and looks forward to working with Trinity’s Refugee Re-settlement efforts, as well as all our other outreach programs. Her most recent work was focused on building collabora-tion among parishes and worshipping communities, a continuing priority for Trinity. Above all, it is Dee’s interpersonal qualities that led us to concur unanimously that she is the priest God has sent to us for this time. Her personal warmth, her openness, her curiosity, and her energy are evident from the first ‘Hello,’ and even a pro-longed interview on a hot day could not dampen her good nature and her en-thusiasm for the opportu-nity to connect her gifts of ministry to the community of Trinity Church.”

6 July 31, 2020

Valley DeathsNELMS MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME -

2501 Carmichael Avenue NW - Huntsville, AL 35816 - (256) 539-8189

Memorial service MS. ASHLEY RENEE YELDER will be planned at a later date by her family in Chicago, Ill.

Graveside service MR. MARCUS D. CONEY (b. 1977) was held Saturday, July 25, at Valley View Memorial Gar-dens with The Reverend Dr. Oscar L. Montgomery, Sr. of-ficiating.

ROYAL FUNERAL HOME - 4315 Oakwood Avenue - Huntsville, AL 35810 - (256) 534-8481

Graveside service for MR. PAUL DOUGLAS BENFORD (b. 1955) was held Wednesday, July 22, at the Thatch-Mann Cemetery (1801 West Hobbs Street Athens, Ala.) with Minister Tony Hubbert officiating.

Funeral service for MR. NIELS CLEMENTS DORMER (b. 1969) was held Sunday, July 26, at the Royal Chapel of Memories.

Graveside service for MR. RODNEY L. SMITH (b. 1953) was held Saturday, July 25, at the New Hope Cemetery in Madison, Ala., with Brother John Branch officiating.

Funeral service for MR. ALVIN LOUIS ODOMS, JR. (b. 1991), was held Friday, July 24, at the Royal Chapel of Memories with Dr. Oscar Montgomery officiating.

Funeral service for MR. WILLIAM EARL “T.T.” JONES (b. 1956) was held Monday, July 20, at the Huntsville Dragway (502 Quarter Mountain Road, Harvest, Ala.) with Pastor Donnie Malone officiating.

SERENITY FUNERAL HOME - 2505 University Drive NW - Huntsville, AL 35816 - (256) 539-9693

Memorial service for MR. NEMIAH HARPER (b. 1954) was held Monday July 27, at Serenity Funeral Home Cha-pel with Pastor C. Jermaine Turner officiating.

Graveside services for MR. TYKEEM D’MAJH FRANK-LIN (b. 1996) was held Saturday, July 25, at Valley View Memorial Gardens with Pastor Troy Garner officiating.

Graveside services for MR. LLOYD “BOBBY” SALES (b. 1954) will be Saturday, July 18, at 10 a.m. at Turner Cemetery in Toney, Ala., with Pastor C. Jermaine Turner officiating.

MRS. JOE STANLEY WHITE (b. 1950) will have a pri-vate memorial at a later date.

MRS. ANDREA BREZZELL (b. 1966) will have a private memorial at a later date.

satisfactionvisit us online at damson.com

COVID-19AssistanceUNITED WAY

COVID-19 Assistance Fund

Donate:www.uwmadison-

county.orgGet Assistance: Call 211

SMALL BUSINESSES

disastercustomerser-vice@sba.gov

(800) 659-2955

COVID-19-RELATED

UNEMPLOY-MENT

Alabama Department of Labor

(866) 234-5382labor.alabama.gov

MADISON COUNTY HEALTH

DEPARTMENT(256) 539-3711

LATEST COV-ID-19

INFORMATIONAlabama Department of

Public Healthwww.alabamapubli-

chealth.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

cdc.gov

TAKEOUT/DE-LIVERY RESTAU-

RANTShttps://hsvchamber.org/

restaurant-deliveries-take-out-food-service-

providers/No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.

Dedicated To You. Delivering Results.

Contact UsPhone: 256-533-1667

Fax: 256-533-1696info@martinsonandbeason.com

Personal Injury | Auto Accidents | Probate & Estate Administration Corporate Law | Real Estate Law Divorce | Criminal Law

www.martinsonandbeason.comfacebook.com/martinsonandbeason

Albert’s FlowersLocated Downtown in Medical District; Closest Florist to Huntsville Hospital

Free Delivery to Huntsville Hospital and Local Funeral Homes

716 Madison Street - Huntsville, AL 35801FLOWERS, GIFTS, EXOTIC FLOWERSGraduate of American Floral Art School256-533-1623256-536-6911www.albertsflowers.com

7July 31, 2020

“Silent gratitude isn’t very much use to anyone.” - Gertrude Stein

July 31Spring/Summer Com-mencementAlabama A&M University(Tickets Required)Speaker:U.S. SenatorDoug JonesLouis Crews StadiumHuntsville, Ala., 7 a.m.

August 1In Honors of Voting Rights Act 55th AnniversaryDrive-Up Voter Services Clinic2200 Drake Avenue SW10 a.m.-2 p.m.

August 3Live Music#ChillCity with LoveFacebook/Instagram LiveFB: Jordan ChillCity MooreIG: TheOfficialChillCityIn partnership with the League of Women Voters7 p.m. (CST)

August 6The Price Is Right LiveVon Braun Center Concert Hall, 8-11 p.m.

August 9 - October 4“The Red Clay Survey: 2020 Exhibition of Contempo-rary Southern Art”Huth, Boeing, Salmon, Haws & Chan GalleriesHuntsville Museum of Art

August 17Classes Begin at Alabama A&M University

September 19Escape To MargaritavilleVon Braun Center Mark C. Smith Concert HallHuntsville, Ala., 8–10 p.m.

Thru September 30Purdy Butterfly HouseAdults, $14; Students and Military Personnel, $12;Children 3-18, $9Huntsville Botanical Garden

Tennessee Valley

Calendar of Events

S E E K I N G F U L L - T I M E , L O V I N G C A R E G I V E R

HELP WANTED:

Prior Experience, References and CNA Preferred!

Interested Persons, Call Dorothyat (256) 651-9028

The King, the Tiger and the Don: NOT Above the Law!

“He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” - Proverbs 28:13 NKJV.

Here King Solomon counsels that breaking God’s law (sin) bankrupts, but acknowledging and fleeing sin heals. None of us is above the law, as the July 9th Supreme Court’s 7-2 ruling against President Trump reaffirmed. The Court nixed his claim of presidential immunity from revealing his tax returns.

The King ... Second Samuel 12 recounts King David’s confessing his adultery with Bathsheba and the subsequent orchestrating of her husband Uriah’s murder; David believed that his kingship “immuned” him from normal accountability and law-abiding. Oakwood Industrial School (now University) co-founder Mrs. Ellen White wrote, “According to the customs prevailing among Eastern rulers, crimes not to be tolerated in subjects were uncondemned in the king; All this tended to lessen David’s sense of the exceeding sinfulness of sin. And instead of relying in humility upon the power of Jehovah, he began to trust to his own wisdom and might.”

. . . the Tiger, . . . In December 2009, Tiger Woods’ admission of

“multiple infidelities” led him into a 45-day therapy program. Later, he confessed, “I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced my-self that normal rules didn’t apply. I thought I could get away with

whatever I wanted to.”

. . . and the Don? Unbridled pursuits of “monies and honeys” con-demn most of us, too. Yet David’s and Tiger’s confessions and subsequent commitments to about-faces made them victors. Hopefully now, our presi-dent will follow suit. Donald: we’re waiting, . . ._______________________

tim allston is the author of the free book, 7 Steps to Manage Ego Problems: The How-to Guide for “Someone Else,” free and download-able now at www.GetEgoHelpNow.org.

8 July 31, 2020

POEM AND COMMENTS at the POP-UP ART FEST at the DRIVE-BY ART GALLERY OF BLACK LIVES MATTER EVENT IN HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA

by Michael David Smith“Case #1,001”

(In the Matter of Illegitimate Hoodlum President Donald John Trump and His Equally Hoodlum Lawyer William Barr, Head of the U.S. Department of Justice)

Trump Law: Barr Justice.trump law; barr justice.barr law. trump justice.

law, justice? barr Trump!

COMMENTS: HUNTSVILLIAN

INDICTS DISTRICT ATTORNEY

On July 7, 2009, I wrote a letter-to-the-Editor of the Huntsville Times that began: “Americans Beware! The Confederates are rising again!” Among the three examples I cited as proof was that “newly installed district attorney Robert Broussard ended his installation speech with a quote on duty from Robert E. Lee.” I ended my letter reminding all that “a prosecutor who reverently quotes Robert E. Lee especially bears close watching.” District Attorney Broussard’s recent acts helping hide evidence in the shooting death of Dana

Fletcher is the disturbing proof that Confederates have now returned to power in Madison County. In the latter part of 2019, the manager of a fitness center called Madison City Police complaining of a van parked in his lot for a length of time. The police responded and asked two females, including a child, to get out of the van. They complied. Dana refused. Three police officers began to wrestle with him, one on one side and two others on the other side. One of the officers hollered that he had a gun. One of the officers shot him, fatally wounding Dana. His family has now asked for the proof that he had a gun. No one in authority has been forthcoming. District Attorney Broussard has agreed to this stonewalling tactic. Not only does the family need to see the evidence, we all need to see it. If they have the proof that he had a gun, then show it. I am not anti-police - I am anti-gestapo. Why did the police officers begin a power contest with Dana? There are a thousand Fletchers in

the city of Madison. Why couldn’t they have called some of them to make him get out of the van? Call his mother, sisters/brothers, aunts/uncles or any of his scoreless cousins to prevail upon him to obey the officers’s command. Our police must be peacekeepers, not an occupying army. This raises another point: why are there so many guns in the United States? The specter of guns frightens us all and endangers us all – police officers and civilians. General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower, at the end of his presidency, warned us of the rise of the military-industrial complex. American arms-dealers had made fortunes in World War II and the Korean Conflict. They schemed to keep the gravy-train rolling by bringing the war home. These war-profiteers then began a marketing campaign in the early 1960s, just as Eisenhower was issuing his warning, to get the courts to declare that every persons has the right to carry a gun wherever he/she goes. Five members of the US

Supreme Court agreed forty years later. This is the source of the lethal mayhem that mars daily American lives. Profiteering is the source of this development. Just as these arms-dealers have saturated the United States with guns, they are now plotting to get “markets” in other countries. Think of how rich they can become when they convince the Russians and then the Brazilians, next the Nigerians that everyone needs a gun. After that, on to Mars. The Martians need guns too! One can see the futility of endless guns, as these countries, the United States included, fall into civil wars that leave their streets full of dead bodies – and more profits! In sum, we need to see the evidence that Dana Fletcher had a gun. If so, show it! This needs to be done by the Madison police -and by District Attorney Broussard. Otherwise, they stand indicted by fair-minded citizens.

Redstone Taking Applications for Small Business PPP Loans

Redstone Federal Credit Union continues to accept applica-tions for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and applauds the application deadline extension which gives small business owners until Aug. 8 to apply. Redstone business members have already been approved for over $31 million in loans since the process began. More than 1,000 businesses have benefited from the program. Master’s Touch Barber Shop is one of those businesses. Lee Lamb, owner, said after not having an income for two months during the pandemic shutdown, he was ecstatic to get his loan approved. Redstone’s business lending staff walked him through the paperwork and answered his questions. Contact businesslend-ing3@redfcu.org for more information. Contact Redstone’s Business Solutions team at businesslend-ing3@redfcu.org for more information.

A&M Seeks 1971 Grads for Reunion

Calling all Alabama A&M University graduates of the CLASS OF 1971! Plans are being made for the 50th year reunion to be held in May 2021. Your support and input are needed. For details and updates contact the reunion class agents--Mrs. Agnes Holley Smith at aeholleysmith@gmail.com or Rev. Jonell Yarbrough Calloway at jonellcalloway@att.net.

Huntsville City Council’s regular meetings are held in the City Council Chambers of the Municipal Building on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. City Council work sessions are also held in the Chambers of the Municipal Building on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. People can sign up for notices of Council meetings and special sessions online at https://signup.e2ma.net/signup/1825550/1780821/ For more information, call (256) 427-5011.

HCC Meetings“The man who removes a mountain

begins by carrying away small stones.” - William Faulkner

John Meredith

Michael D. Smith andShelly Williams

9July 31, 2020

Congressman John Lewis and The Reverend C. T. Vivian were living legends, admired by millions. Both were brave and courageous, yet humble, kind, and gentle. I speak person-ally because they were both my friends. John and I were schoolmates, and all three of us are alumni of American Baptist College of the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nash-ville, Tennessee. All three of us participated in the Nashville student-led lunch counter sit-in and the Nashville stand-in movement (at theaters). John, along with Dianne Nash and others, was a student leader and Reverend C. T. Vivian was a pastoral leader, along with oth-er pastors. All were beaten and wounded at various times for seeking justice and equality for all. It has been well document-ed that John was beaten near death as a policeman cracked his skull on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama in 1965 (Bloody Sunday). Both John and Reverend Vivian were preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ—authen-tic preachers—who did more preaching outside the church sanctuaries than perhaps inside. They preached daily in the halls of Congress (John),

in race relationship seminars (C.T.), on college and univer-sity campuses, in offices, in the streets, on bridges (Edmund Pettus), and on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, etc. They preached everywhere and prac-ticed what they preached. They were indeed the consciences of Congress and America. Like the Apostles of the New Testament, they were beaten for righteousness sake and for the cause of social justice and equality for all. Both were prophetic preachers—like the Prophets of the Old Testa-ment—who shouted like Moses to the Pharaoh: “Let my people go;” like Amos to Northern Israel: “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream;” and like Micah who raised im-

mortal questions: “What does the Lord require of you…but to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God.” I am extremely humbled to have known these two legends and to have been their friend. I am even more humbled that a building on American Baptist College Campus is named for John Robert Lewis and Julius Richard Scruggs—The Lewis/Scruggs Leadership Center. Mentored by Dr. Martin Lu-ther King, Jr., influenced by the teachings of The Reverend Dr. James Lawson, and saved and transformed by Jesus Christ, these two giants will be forever remembered because they were intellectually respectable, socially relevant, and spiritually redemptive.

A Statement on the Life and Legacy of the Reverend C.T. Vivian and Congressman John Lewis

- Julius R. Scruggs, Pastor Emeritus First Missionary Baptist Church

Elderly and Disability Care in the the Valley in the Age of COVID-19 (BPT) - The threat of CO-VID-19 in nursing homes and assisted living facilities has led elderly individuals and people with disabilities or underlying health conditions to seek safer admin-istration of their care. For some, the most desirable place to receive ongoing services is in their own homes. According to the CDC, in the age of COVID-19, your home is the safest place to be. Why then should care be any different? The concept of “aging in place” is not new, but for seniors - and people with disabilities or other long-term care needs - the idea of hiring and managing services to ensure you can remain at home, known as self-directed care, may seem too complex. It doesn’t need to be. Understanding your rights, caregiver options and resources can provide the freedom to live life on your terms.

Why choose in-home services? Self-determination was first rec-ognized in law nearly 30 years ago. Regardless of age or ability, you can choose how to receive, manage and pay for long-term services. Giving individuals freedom to make care decisions has far-reach-ing positive impacts. In 1990, the Robert Wood Johnson Founda-tion launched an 18-state pilot program, finding that individuals with long-term care needs or dis-abilities experienced better health outcomes with self-directed home or community-based care options. Moreover, one study showed self-direction generating cost savings of 12.4% to 15.5% compared to traditional service arrangements. Proven health benefits have spurred support for self-directed programs nationwide, as self-di-recting participants are up to 90% more likely to be very satisfied with how they lead their lives.

Is in-home care safe?Over a fifth of the deaths from COVID-19 in the United States are tied to nursing homes or other long-term care facilities, with

families becoming increasingly reluctant about their elderly loved ones going to nursing facilities. Home-based care can provide safe, stable and accessible services. When conducted using precau-tions advised by health authorities, receiving support that allows you to remain in your home is safer because it limits exposure that may otherwise occur in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Ad-ditionally, self-directed models have demonstrated little service disruption during state-mandated shutdowns while nursing homes and long-term care facilities are struggling to ensure adequate coverage. Self-direction has also been shown to provide significant flex-ibility as individuals with disabili-ties can switch between agency-delivered and self-directed services at any time, while maintaining control of the budget to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE), a cellphone and an internet connection to facilitate telehealth.

Further, with self-direction, you control associations with people outside of your household. This includes the potential to hire a qualified household member to assume the support role to further limit external contact.

How do you hire a family mem-ber or friend? Today, more than one million Medicaid beneficiaries choose self-directed in-home and community-based services. If you or a loved one have a trusted friend or family member who is qualified to provide in-home or community-based care,

start by contacting the local health department or Medicaid office to determine Medicaid eligibility and assess the services needed. Once an assessment is completed, you or your loved one can inquire about self-directing services and proceed with hiring. When self-directing services, the person receiving the ser-

vices becomes a caregiver’s direct employer. Enlisting a financial intermediary can help you ensure all administrative tasks, payroll and taxes are handled seamlessly. GT Independence, for instance, helps approximately 25,000 individuals in 11 states to manage in-home and community-based services through easy-to-use, accessible,

online and mobile services that are 100% HIPAA compliant, allowing caregivers to focus on what really matters: the individual. For valuable resources about in-tegrating self-directed options into a personal care plan, visit Collabo-ration to Promote Self-Determina-tion (CPSD) or National Gateway to Self-Determination (NGSD).

Vote Tuesday, August 25th

Scan code and sign up to have a sign delivered!

10 July 31, 2020